Valve



Jan. 4, 1938.

Filed Sept. 25, 1935 W. L. HUNTER VALVE 2 l,Sheets-Sheet l A//M MM HUA/Tf@ Jan. 4, 1938. W. I .HUNTER 2,104,039

VALVE Filed Sept. 25, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l HTT/V.

Patented Jan. 4, 1938 niet VALVE William L. Hunter, Erie, Pa.; assigner to Northern Equipment Company, Erie, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 25, 1935, Serial 1Y0-.41,973

y 2 Claims.

VThis inventionv relates to valves, and particularly to rotating valves which are to be used as feedwaterv valvesfor boilers and the like, and which are automatically operated by various types of feed Water regulators. One object of the inventionis to provide means for varying the effective sizes of the valve ports for a given amount of rotation `of the valve plunger, so that the amount of water flowing will thus be varied to suit the needs. :A Another object ofthe invention is to eliminate practically the undesirable effects of the owing water on the operationof the valves. In these daysfof very high steam pressures and enormous `boiler capacities, the now of water'through the feedvalyes under high pressures in large quantities ordinarily affects very materially the operation of the valves; making the movement. of the `plungersmorey or less erratic, causing chatter.- ing, increasing the forcerequired toi-operate the valves, and being otherwise objectionable. These .effects are .substantially eliminated by the use of my valve. Also I provide means for making'the valve entirely unbalanced,fsemibalanced or entirely balanced.V f

Q f the accompanying drawings,A Fig. 1 is .an elevationAv of a valve which embodies features of myinvention; Fig. 2fis a planview thereof, with the valve proper in section; Fig. 3 is a planview, at 90 from Fig. 2, with the valve operating means -inr section.; Fig. 4 is a section along the line 4--4 of Fig.. 2,' with the background omitted; Fig. 5 `is a similar View of a further modification; Fig. 6` is an elevation of Valve operating means as ap- `.plied to a diaphragm motor; andFig.-7 is a View of the same at 90 from Fig. 6.

The valve of Figs. Il to 3 comprises an ordinary valve casing I0, having an inlet II and an outlet I2. Within the casing is a partition I4, having anfopening .19 therein in which is mounted the inner end of a cage I3, the outer end of the cage being mounted by means of a-exible ange Bil in an opening 8 in the wall of the casing opposite the partition. This flexible ange allows contraction and expansion of the cage Without injury. When so arranged the water entering the inlet-II is free to flow entirely around the cage.

Adjacent the inner end of the cage are ports i5 which are, preferably, equally spaced entirely around theV cage. Within the cage is slidably and rotatably mounted a plunger I1. The plunger, in this instance, is entirely closed at itsk upper end I8, and is Yprovided with ports I9 adjacent its inner end. These ports also are preferably -on the spindle 20.

(C1. 251-167) equally spaced around the plunger and are spaced the same distance Aand are the same width as the ports I6. The Valve is opened or closed by rotating the `plunger by means of its spindle 2i).

ABy having a large number of ports, Withthe ports I 6 always symmetrical with reference to the ports I9, theflow of water is always entirely symmetrical with reference to the kplunger irrespective of the amount of Water flowing therethrough. And the inwardly inclined inner and outer edges of the ports I6 assist in directing the water inwardly axially of the plunger, thus preventing chattering and various eddy currents which would interfere with the smooth and easy operation of the plunger.

As a part of my linvention I provide means whereby the plunger may be shifted axially in the cage, so asv to varyfthe effective openings of the ports. As shown in Fig. 2 the plunger is positioned `outwardly substantially `the maximum amount. By forcing the plunger inwardly the effective openings ofthe ports will be reduced, just as wouldbe accomplished by rotatingthe plunger in the closing direction. By this means the amount of water flowing may be varied independentlyof the rotational or angular position of the plunger.- The shifting of the plunger axially may be accomplished manually or automatically. In thisk case I prefer toprovide the following means for manual operation.

Threaded on the outer end of the spindle 2li .are lock nuts 2l and 22. Between these nuts is a` collar 23, slidably but non-rotatably mounted The collar is rotatably but non-slidably mounted in the bearing yoke 24 in any suitable manner. If it is desired to shift the .plunger inwardly or outwardly it is necessary onlyv to loosen the lock nuts rand shift the spindle through the collar to the position desired, and

.then to set thelock nuts in the holding positions.

In order to indicate to the operator the longitudinal position vof the plunger in the cage I provide an indicator 25. This indicator preferably consists of a segment of a disk coaxially and rotatably mounted on the spindle 2U, and held in position by nuts 26 and 21. As the spindle is shifted longitudinally it carries with it the indicator, and a suitable scale 28 on the yoke arms indicates the position of the plunger in the cage. The yoke arms prevent rotation of the indicator as the spindle rotates. i

This type of valve is particularly desirable as a feed Water valve for boilers or the like when operated by any type of feed water regulator. Any suitable means may be provided for connecting the valve with the regulator. I prefer for the purpose to mount an arm 3U on the collar 23, Xing it thereto by means of bolts 3l. By rotat ing this arm. the collar, and thus the spindle and plunger, will be rotated and the opening of the ports of the valve varied. The collar is preferably keyed to the spindle by means of a key 32 which is Xed to the spindle or to the collar, andV ts snugly but slidably in a groove in the other member.

To reduce the force required torotate the plunger I prefer to mount the collar in ball bearings33. And to indicate the'angular position of the plunger with reference to the cage I provide an indicator 34 which is fixed with reference to the spindle in any suitable manner and coacts with a scale 35, which in this instance is formed on the indicator 25. By means of these two indi- V Ycaters and 34 the magnitude of the port openings can be, readily determined at Aany time and for any longitudinal or angular relation of the plunger to the cage.

The valve as indicated in Fig. 2 is a semibalanced valve. It is substantially balanced angularly, but is unbalanced longitudinally. As the water ows'there is a pressure on the closed end I8 of the plunger, in the direction of the ports, equal to the drop in pressure through the valve. This'is sometimes desirable as it tends to take up any possible loose play longitudinally of the valve plunger. With boilers operating at enormous pressures and capacities it is desirable to have no effective' loose play between the operating means and the valve plunger. Withrthis valve there is a continuous pressure so that it is always held snugly against the collar 23.

Fig. 5 shows a substantially completely bal'- anced plunger. The openings 3l in the outer end of the plunger, corresponding to the endY I8v of Fig. 2, allow the water to flow freely through Vthe plunger, so that the pressure of the water is always substantially the same'in both directions on the end I8 of the plunger. Also the longitudinal edges of the ports bear the same angle to the walls so that there is substantially notendency of the water to rotate the plunger.V Also the outer edges of the ports are bevelled in the direction of flow, thus eliminating the tendency ofthe water to force the plunger in either longitudinal direction.

These valves may be connected up for operation by feed water regulators in any suitable manner,

Vthe regulator being connected directly or indirectly to the lever 30 or its equivalent. Figs. 6 and 7 show the valve connected to a diaphragm motor 42. The arm 40 corresponds to the lever 30 of Figs. i and 2, and a link 4| is pivoted to the arm by one end and is connected to the diaphragm in an ordinary manner by the other end. The diaphragm chamber of the motor 42 is in communication, by means of a pipe 43, with the the ilange.

pressure control portion of the boiler system. A spring 44 continuously tends to force the link towards t e diaphragm. As the controlling pressure of tV boiler or regulator varies the angular position of the arm 40 the angular position of the plunger in the cage will vary accordingly; thus allowing more or less water to flow to the boiler to suit the needs.

With'a motor of this nature, if it is desired to open the valve more as the control pressure increases, the plunger is Vset so as to open the ports as the spring is compressed, the spring then Y tends at all times to close the valve. If it is desired to close the valvemore as the control pres- -sure increases, the bolts 3|, Fig. 3, may be loosened andthe angular position of the plunger changed Vso that, as the spring is compressed, the valve'closes; the spring then tends at all times to open the valve. To limit the movement of the arm 40 stops 46 may be used so that the movement of the plunger rotation may be limited to the completely open or closed position, or otherwise as desired. Preferably the stops are adjustable, as shown in Fig. 1.V Y

' V'Ihe mechanism of Figs. 6 and17 is particularly applicable to the pressure generator type of feed water regulator. YOther types of regulators, such as the float andV the thermostat types, may be connected tothe'arm 30, or its equivalent, by means of a link V41 in an ordinary manner.V It 'will beunderstood that, in such a case, the spindle of the plunger is mounted horizontally ordinarily, and in such a Vcase a weight 48 may be mounted on the armso as to operate the valve in one direction and thus to eliminate any loose play in the Yregulator mechanism.

`I claim' as my invention:

1. A valve comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a partition between the inlet and the outlet and having an opening therethrough, the outer wall of theA casing having an opening therethrough facing the partition opening, a cage with itsends iixed in therespective openings, and a plunger movably mounted in the cage, the cage having a flexible flange projecting angularly around one end by means of which that end of the cage is fixed in the casing Opening.

2. A valve comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, ya partition between the inlet and the outlet and having an opening therethrough, theouter'wall of the casing having an opening therethrough facing the partition opening, a cage with its ends fixed in the respective openings, and a plunger movably mounted in the cage, the cage having a exible ange projecting angularly around one end by means of which that end of the cagegis xed in one of the openings, whereby that end is movable in the opening by exing WILLIAM L. HUNTER. 

